Is It Ok to Book a Safari While in Kenya?

Written by Bijou Lane on 07 Apr 2020

Is It Ok to Book a Safari While in Kenya?

Is It Ok to Schedule a Safari While in Kenya?

Is it OK to reserve a safari as soon as you get here in Kenya or is it better to book ahead of time? This concern repeatedly comes up on numerous travel online forums. Many tourists (including myself) like the freedom of landing in a country and also seeing exactly how it moves without being locked into an established schedule where you are told when and also where to eat, rest as well as go. So let’s discover exactly how you can go on safari with some feeling of liberty while remaining secure, comfy and within spending plan.

Let’s begin with “Yes”, it’s ALRIGHT to schedule a safari as soon as you arrive in Kenya. If you roam the roads of Nairobi’s CBD, you will be come close to by promotes selling cheap safaris. It is really easy to support among them. The cars are typically parked near City Market, so if you are ready to go, you could go immediately. They accept cash so you simply require to head to the ATM, withdraw, hand it over and also you’re away. Simple.

For those that more than happy with doing points rapidly, just as well as are adaptable in their expectations, this is perfect. For others, this could sound a little bit dodgy. I had a friend that went with this method and it wasn’t until her and also her comrades had taken out the cash from the ATM that they recognized they will walk through downtown Nairobi as well as at the very least a single person knew they were bring masses of cash. It instantly seemed a reckless method.

So we move to “No” it’s probably not an excellent concept to reserve a safari when you arrive in Kenya. Safaris aren’t cheap … or you certainly obtain what you pay for! If you discover a bargain on the road that appears as well great to be true, then it most likely is. You could find yourself consuming zikuma (kale) and also ugali (maize meal) for a week and also everyday taking care of the outcomes of an inadequately maintained lorry. Keep in mind, fuel is the same cost as at home and the roads remain in negative condition (like, even worse than you might also envision), so running a lorry right here is a pricey proposition.

You intend to trust your trip driver. You are about to turn over a large quantity of money to make this once-in-a-lifetime safari the one you’ve constantly imagined. Why would certainly you take the chance of that by picking any type of Joe off the street? Take time to do your research study. Review reviews of scenic tour drivers (Trip Consultant, Safari Bookings and Your African Safari all assistance), and also begin an e-mail conversation to get a feeling for exactly how they reply to your desires. While it’s not essential, you may likewise wish to contact sector bodies such at KATO (Kenyan Organization of Excursion Operators) whose members tend to be much more trusted and also competent than non-members. You also need to know who you are handling - a representative or an operator. Obviously if you are dealing with your travel representative in your home then they will connect you with a trustworthy tour operator. But some Kenyan representatives can look very much like operators on their web sites. This means they will certainly not be accountable for car maintenance and be “offering you” to a trip operator. In this situation you still don’t know who will certainly be in charge of your convenience as well as safety and security while on safari and also whether you trust them. And also agents in Kenya are not held by the exact same policies and also warranties as representatives in your home, so if they disappear with your money there’s very little recourse.

Kenya is not all bad!

However it’s not just about staying clear of dubious people (I do not wish to seem like Kenya contains conmen!), it’s also regarding schedule. The majority of people intend to come for the Wildebeest Movement in July and also August. These months are likewise summer season holidays in the US as well as Europe so accommodation in Maasai Mara is around 97% scheduled throughout the duration. Christmas is additionally a peak duration, with a great deal of Kenyans travelling right now along with international tourists. Lodging as well as lorries can be difficult to resource in these peak times if you leave it to the last minute.

If you are not picky concerning food, the car, or which video game park you most likely to and also get on a budget, then you can take a chance with reserving your safari when you reach Kenya. But I recommend you spend time researching credible scenic tour operators with excellent testimonials so you recognize you are risk-free. However, Kenya is maybe not the best country to count on complete strangers on the road that have “the very best safari offer for you!”

Overland Travel Adventures has superb testimonials on Trip Consultant as well as we enjoy collaborating with our guests to personally make their dream safari. We are a family-run organization with couple group, Tracey as well as Francis, looking after you from preparing via implementation. Email [mailto:[email protected]] [email protected] to begin intending your holiday today.

Tracey is the proprietor of Overland Travel Journeys (OTA), a philanthropic scenic tour business based in Nairobi, Kenya. She has actually travelled to over 50 countries and also led scenic tours in a lot of those. OTA concentrates on engaging with the African continent instead of simply seeing it with the home window. OTA is gotten in touch with several community-based organisations throughout Kenya and also incorporates brows through to these tasks into their itineraries. Check out the web site http://www.overlandtraveladventure.com to learn more, or Like on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/OverlandTravelAdventures